Psychiatrist
by conspiracy-of-ravens
Summary: Hanji works as a psychiatrist, and on most days can honestly say she loves her job. The days Levi comes in though, those are the hard ones. He just sits there and reads, refusing to talk about anything, until one day he comes in with a request for Hanji. "Will you pretend to be my wife for a month?" Inspired by a great story written by mistyhollowdrummer. I have their permission.
1. You Want What?

A psychiatrist is a wonderful thing to be, unless you have Corporal Levi Ackerman for a patient. Levi is… difficult. I had been seeing him for two months, yet I still knew nothing more about him than what his military medical file said. "PTSD, stress-induced OCD, and difficulty sleeping." He wouldn't talk to me; would just limp his way over to my sofa, snagging one of my many books on the way, and read. It was painfully obvious Levi didn't want to be here. On his third visit, I asked him why he bothered coming. He told me that while he had been deployed in Krovla, he was shot. The doctor said it would take at least a year and a half before it would fully heal, since the bullet chipped his femur. Due to that, the Army thought it would be best if Levi was honorably discharged. Apparently though, his superior officer "Commander Eyebrows," gave Levi a bit of an ultimatum. Said that unless he visits me for the year and a half recovery period, he wouldn't receive a pension. Since the state of his leg prevents him from having a decent job, he appears in my office once a week.

"Commander Eyebrows," commonly called Erwin Smith by everyone but Levi, is a friend of mine. We both went to Mitras University; shared a few anatomy classes. I wanted anatomy because of my love for science, while Erwin thought it would be useful in making terrorists give up information. I had laughed at him when he first told me that. I later realized that he had been serious.

After graduating, Erwin joined the Army, climbing the ranks to Command Sergeant Major faster than seemed humanly possible. After Levi told me that Erwin specifically told him to visit me, I decided to call the Commander and question him as to why he was forcing this grumpy little Corporal to visit me.

Erwin—being the secretive bastard that he is—refused to answer any of my questions, simply stating that he considered Levi a friend and knew I could help him. He said that something happened when Levi was shot in Krovla. He didn't say what, and I appreciated that. Levi needed to get to the point where he would trust me enough to tell me himself.

That didn't mean I wasn't itching to know though. An injury in the Army would certainly explain the PTSD and trouble sleeping, but his antisocial personality disorder and stress-induced OCD were mysteries to me. Levi's OCD manifested itself in an obsession with cleanliness. For the two months I'd been seeing him, he would come into my office with his hands dried out from over-washing, fingertips red and raw from scrubbing things. He carried a mini bottle of hand-sanitizer in his left coat pocket, and refused to use the restroom in my office because it was "nasty." I can't ask him about it directly though. Whenever I try that tactic, he closes off even more than usual. So we just sit and read, occasionally discussing our books, talking about our week, and debating whether my office is truly clean or not.

It was the last day in November, a Friday, and Levi would be coming in for our ninth session together. I had arrived at the office early, and was rushing around trying to dust off my bookshelves. The trash had been taken out, and I had vacuumed the Asian rug the previous Wednesday. I had started this weekly cleaning ritual after only a few meetings with Levi. I didn't want to give him a chance to use my messy office as a stalling tactic to avoid discussing more personal things.

Since yesterday had been Thanksgiving, I was hoping that Levi might be in a better mood, however impossible that seemed. Maybe I would be able to get him to talk about any family or friends that had visited yesterday.

I glanced up at the clock as I ran my rag over one of the many stacks of books that I didn't have shelf space for. I had run out of bookshelf room both in my apartment and here in my office. I'm still not entirely sure how I managed to do so, considering how every wall in both places were covered in floor-to-celling shelves.

The time said 2:55, so I packed up my cleaning supplies and took a last glance around the room, making sure there were no greasy smudges on the leather couch from where I ate Moo Goo Gai Pan the day before. Finally satisfied, I plopped down in my easy chair and grabbed my current read from an end table.

Before I could get more than a page in though, Levi swung the door open, breaking my concentration. He looked more exhausted than usual, with dark bags under his bored looking eyes. I could see the tell-tale bulge of his hand sanitizer in the pocket of his dark jeans. With barely a glance in my direction, he limped his way to the sofa and started reading through the titles.

"Hey Levi! How are you today?"

"Doing fine." He was closely examining a fairly large book I had recently purchased. It was a collection of Edgar Allan Poe's work, and had a beautiful image of a raven on the dust jacket. Poetry wasn't a genre I typically enjoyed, but I had heard a lot of good things about Poe's short stories.

"You a fan of Poe?" I asked, hoping to get a conversation started.

Levi gave a non-committal grunt and—after inspecting the state of the sofa—gingerly lowered himself onto it, keeping his injured leg extended. He cast a slightly disgusted look around the room, eyes lingering briefly on the papers scattered on my mahogany desk, disapprovingly glancing at some crumbs gathered on the carpet that had escaped my notice up 'till now.

"Did you have a good Thanksgiving?"

He simply hummed and cracked open the tome in his hands.

I chuckled a bit. "Ok, fine. You can read for a bit, but you will tell me about your week before I let you go." I emphasized my words with a sharp poke of my finger in his direction. Getting Levi to talk could be like pulling teeth. I had told Erwin as much when I talked to him last, but the man seemed convinced that somehow I would be able to reach him.

Levi sighed and turned a page. This man will be the death of me. I had always considered myself to be a very patient and understanding person; I was so fascinated by the human nature that I was perfectly willing to put up with a lot of crap if it meant that I could learn more about humanity in general. Levi though, he tested me in ways I hadn't thought possible. I had never known another person like him. With an almost silent groan, I leaned over and picked up my own novel as well, quickly loosing myself in a world of art thieves, drug scandals, and friendship.

Several chapters later, I was jerked out of my fictional world by Levi's shuffling. I watched as he gingerly readjusted his legs. He glanced up at me and quickly looked back down as soon as we'd made eye contact. A minute later, he scooted closer to the center of the couch and gave another quick look at me. Then he gave a deep sigh.

It was strange. Levi never moved this much normally, instead sitting as still as possible, almost as if he was trying to blend in with the sofa in the hopes that I would forget he was there. Assuming that if he really wanted something he'd ask, I returned my eyes to the story in front of me.

When Levi dropped his book into his lap with a hitched breath, I gave into my curiosity.

"What's bothering you?" I closed my book around my finger to mark my place.

"I, uh…" Levi swallowed thickly. He started tapping his fingers methodically on his knee. "My great-grandparents are coming from France to stay with me for the month of December. It's my grandfather's 100th birthday soon, and he wants to spend Christmas with me."

"Is that causing you a lot of stress that you feel like you need to talk about?"

"No, that's not it. Actually, I," He paused, finally meeting my eyes, "I need your help."

My finger slipped out of its place, loosing my page as I jerked forward in my seat to be closer to Levi. "Really? What can I do for you?"

This was a big step for Levi. Requesting my help wasn't something he had ever done before. Maybe he was getting more comfortable around me? Trusting that I really could help him? I could only hope.

He winced, fingers tapping faster. "They think I'm married."

"Okay," I dragged the word out in confusion. "Why do they think that?"

"Because I told them I was, you idiot!" He snapped, finally making eye contact before quickly looking down again. "My grandmother has no sense of personal space and keeps calling me since I've been discharged, asking if I have a girlfriend, what job I'm going to get once my leg heals, whether my pension is enough to live on. She just won't stop. I finally just told the woman I was married, hoping she'd leave me alone, but no! Of course not! Now she's decided to drag my ancient grandfather all the way over here from Stochess to meet my wife!"

By the time he'd finished his little rant, his cheeks were flushed and one hand was clenched into a tiny fist while the other twitched rapidly on his leg. "Will you pretend to be my wife? Trust me, I'd rather ask anybody else."

I couldn't help but get distracted by the sheer volume of what Levi had said. He'd just spoken more then he had in all our previous sessions together combined.

"If I'm the last person you want to ask, then why are you asking me?" I asked, finally grasping what he had actually said.

He shot me a glare. "Because you are the only person I know who isn't deployed in Krovla."

Wow. He had been back in Trost for two months, and didn't know anybody? No friendly mailman, or any neighbors? Not only that, but he didn't have any old college friends? No one? I was shocked, but then again, Levi was an introvert. I was the opposite; I needed people to survive. I guess he didn't.

The full realization of what he was asking me to do finally sank in. He wanted me to help him lie to his great-grandparents? That was awful! From the things Levi said, his great grandmother was just concerned about his wellbeing. Would I be allowing his physical and mental health to decline by agreeing to this? Or would the stress of his family discovering his lies push him past his breaking point? Either I enable him in continuing to block people out instead of letting them help, or I let him face the consequences of his actions and potentially risk his having a break down from the stress that comes with being caught spinning a web of falsehoods.

Neither option was good. Damn him. He'd boxed me into a corner without even realizing it. Now granted, if I refused, Levi might very well be ok. His grandparents could be accepting, and forgive him. But still. Could I take that risk? What if they reacted poorly and left? Then he'd be left alone, with nothing but regrets and whatever monsters lurk in his memories. That wouldn't end well.

But on the other hand, if I did help him, if I did play along with this lie, what would result from that? Eventually, his great-grandparents would learn the truth. This wasn't something that could be kept secret forever. They would ultimately learn the truth and it would hurt so much worse, potentially causing even more damage to their relationship than it would otherwise.

"Hanji, I need an answer! They come in tomorrow!"

"What?! You waited until the day before they arrive to ask me? And you called me the idiot?" I looked up at him, noticing how his narrow eyes had widened, giving him a desperate look that was unusual to see.

Levi sighed, sounding completely exhausted. "They didn't tell me they were coming until last night. Didn't want me to have time to invent an excuse as to why they couldn't."

"Well I guess that explains the dark circles under your eyes." I mutter more to myself than him.

Family was not my strong suit. Would I even be able to pretend to be somebody's partner? How exactly does one be a wife? Having never had a good example of one outside of books and television, I had no idea. When in doubt though, I could always just fall back on stereotypes, as much as that thought pained me.

"I… I know I'm going to regret this, but I have a few conditions before I'll agree to help."

Levi groaned in annoyance.

"Hey, if you want my help, shut up and listen," I snapped. "I won't take time off from work to hang out with your family. You'd also have to pay someone to keep an eye on my pets because I'm assuming you wouldn't want me to bring them?"

He looked wary. "That depends on the kind of pets."

"Pythons. Sonny is an acid morph ball python, and Bean is a blood python. I can't just leave them, unfortunately. Their tanks have to be kept at the right temperatures with a very specific moisture content. They'll need to be fed a few times as well." I should probably be able to ask Eren to keep an eye on them. He'd always seemed interested in having pet snakes of his own, and his guardian Hannes was always very encouraging towards whatever hobbies he developed.

"Hell yeah, I'll pay for a snake sitter. You're not bringing them anywhere near my apartment. Do you know who you're gonna ask?"

"Uh, yeah I think so."

"Good. You have my address from the patient file, right?" He asked as he gingerly stood, leaning heavily to the right.

Casting a quick glance at the clock, I saw we still had fifteen minutes left.

"Wait! You can't go yet." I called. "Our session isn't over, and you still haven't told me about your Thanksgiving."

Levi gave me his signature dead-pan expression. "You are a horrible person, Hanji."

"I know, but I happen to be the only person you know in Trost, right? You have to like me somewhat, especially considering you just proposed." My mouth stretched into a huge Cheshire-Cat grin as I leaned back in my chair.

"I did not propose." He huffed, crossing his arms and looking for all the world like a pouting teenager.

"So…?" I prompted.

"Thanksgiving was fine."

"No no no, not nearly good enough. Details, Levi. What did you eat? Anybody call you? What'd you do?"

His head dropped a little. "I ate leftover Mexican food and cleaned the entire apartment twice. You already know my grandparents called. So did Commander Eyebrows."

Apparently I made a face, because Levi got irritated. "Don't give me that look! I don't want pity, sympathy, or whatever the hell that face means. I enjoyed myself very much."

Pulling himself to his feet again, he continued. "Their plane lands at nine am, so you should show up no later than eight to get your stuff settled in." He turned to leave.

"Do you want me to bring the Poe compilation?" I called teasingly. He seemed to be really enjoying the book.

Levi stared at me for a moment, glancing briefly to the book, then back to me. "Yes. That'd be nice." He said blandly before turning and slowly walking out.

I let out a big sigh as soon as the door swung shut behind him. What had I just done? Was I really willing to spend a month with Levi, pretending to be his wife, lying to his family? They obviously cared about him. They didn't deserve this. But… A thought struck me. Yes, while helping would be enabling a destructive behavior in Levi, it would also get me closer to him. I would be spending an entire month living with him. During that time, I was bound to learn more about him, which in turn would help me get through to him better. And yet, family was something precious—sacred even. It was a gift that not everyone was given, and Levi's scheme could do some very serious damage to his. Someone to love you unconditionally, wanting nothing in return, willing to walk with you through the darkest paths of life; Levi had that. He had that, and was willing to risk it in order to avoid a few questions from someone who cared.

I finally stood from my chair, realizing I had been staring into space since Levi left. My patient schedule gave me twenty minutes of time after each session, reserved purely for recording our conversations and taking notes on new developments. Walking over my desk, I dropped gracelessly into my rolling chair and began to update my notes on Levi. His document was the smallest out of all my patient files. After typing in the date, I wrote out a transcript of all we said. My eidetic memory was both a blessing and a curse; I could clearly remember all my sessions—making my fellow doctors at the Trost Psychiatric Clinic jealous, seeing as how they had to record all their sessions—and yet I also was unable to forget things that would be much better forgotten.

"Still antagonistic. Willing to lie to get others to leave him alone. Has he lied to me?" I doubted he would have been able to; I prided myself in my ability to read others, after all. "Need to go over every previous transcript to look for inconsistencies. Has only Erwin Smith, outside of grandparents. Where is rest of family? So far has made no efforts to adjust back to civilian life; still isolating himself. Why?"

LINEBREAK

I finished up with the rest of my patients and made it back to my apartment by 7pm. After heating the remnants of my moo goo gai pan, I started packing the basics for my stay at Levi's.

No need to bring a pillow or towel. Levi should have plenty of those. Besides, having one towel or pillow case that didn't match the rest could hint to the grandparents that something was up. After shoving all my underwear into the largest suitcase I owned, I went over to the closet. A fancy outfit or two, maybe a pair of grungy cloths, four sets of pajamas, and enough clothes to last two weeks without washing.

After setting out all the toiletries I thought I'd need, I noticed that my stash of feminine products was incredibly low. My period was typically light and short, but it was accompanied by cramps so severe that it caused vomiting. I was hoping I'd skip this coming month as I frequently did, but just in case I made a mental note to pick up some more tampons.

As I worked, my mind kept coming up with ways this little adventure of mine could go terribly wrong. It really wasn't the smartest decision I've ever made, that much was obvious. I was going to shack up with a guy I hardly knew. What if he was secretly a creepy rapist? Maybe he tortured puppies for fun on the weekends? Or he could be a mobster. Levi did look like he could be a mobster, or at least a thug of some sort. There would certainly be times that his family wasn't around, leaving just him and me alone in his house with plenty of time for him to reveal that he moonlights as a serial killer.

Shaking my head, I banished my overdramatic, worst-case-scenario thoughts. I was very, very good at reading people. Not to mention, Erwin was friends with him, and Erwin was the cleverest, least gullible person I knew. I would be completely safe. In an effort to boost the confidence that had been damaged by my traitorous thoughts, I sent Levi a quick text just to give him my number. I had made note earlier of his address and cell number when I was working on his file.

Finally deciding that I was done stressing for the night, I slipped into bet with my laptop, determined to finish watching an anime I'd started months previously yet never actually had time to watch. I couldn't help but feel like I was forgetting something though.


	2. Meet the Family

**A/N: Haha! I've finally figured out how to leave authors' notes! I am unstoppable... *clears throat* Sorry. Anyway, welcome to my fic! I've been writing this baby since January 2016, and have the first 17 chapters posted on AO3. For a while, I've wanted to also post my stories here, but just now got around to it. So, I've said this in my profile, but I'll say it here as well. I am currently in university, studying for dual degrees in literature and philosophy, and I work three jobs. This means, that I do not have very much free time (read: writing time). I'm doing the best I can though, so all I ask is that you be patient with me regarding updates. ^^;**

 **I will mention a few trigger warnings for this fic, BUT NOT ALL. This story includes suicidal themes, graphic violence, and underage rape/non-con. The underage rape/non-con does NOT happen during this stories timeline, but is discussed often. So... mind the exit signs, and see your way out if this isn't your cup of tea. This is the only warning I will provide.**

 ***whispers* Are they gone? *smiles at those remaining* Ok then. Enjoy the next chapter. ^^**

* * *

December 1st

I woke up to my phone going off, alerting me of a text message. I slowly stretched out, knocking all my excess pillows to the floor. I hoped Levi had a lot of pillows; I never could fall asleep without a minimum of five pillows to cuddle with. My phone went off again. With a groan, I rolled over and slapped around for my glasses before snatching up my phone from my end table and swiped the screen open. Six texts had come in, all from Levi.

 **From Levi Ackerman:**

 **Where are you, Four Eyes?**

 **They're supposed to get here in 10 minutes.**

Ten minutes? No, that couldn't be right. I had a sudden thought, panicked and checked the time. It was 10 am. My panic intensified as I leaped out of bed, and raced to the closet, while scrolling through more of the messages.

 **Text me back, Shitty Glasses.**

 **They're here. Told them that you had an emergency with a patient. Get your ass over here.**

I froze. He told them that I had an emergency with a patient. Did that mean they know I'm a psychiatrist? Did they know that Levi was my patient? They couldn't. That knowledge would ruin everything. There was no way that they'd believe that any decent psychiatrist would marry their patient. Maybe he didn't specify what kind of doctor I was, although with how nosey he claimed his grandmother is, I doubted she'd be satisfied with any vague answers. I'd just have to take cues from him on the details of our "relationship."

After tugging on a tunic and leggings, I glanced at the final two texts.

 **Where the fuck are you?!**

 **I will kill you.**

I hoped that Levi's grandmother wasn't as nosey as he claimed she was. If she looked through his texts to his "wife," Levi would have a lot of explaining to do. I sent him a quick text saying that I was on my way.

Snatching up my suitcase, I started to walk to the front door before it dawned on me that I'd have to somehow sneak it into Levi's place. Maybe he could take his grandparents out to show them Trost, and I'd move my stuff over then. From the things I've heard of Stochess, the two cities are very different, so it was likely that they'd want to see the sights. I went and checked on Sonny and Bean, as was my custom before I ever left the apartment. Sonny, being the sociable one, slithered up and positioned his face in front of mine and flicked his tongue at me, while Bean simply hid in his rock-cave. I groaned with a sudden realization, and smacked myself in the head with more force than I intended, causing me to groan louder. I'd forgotten to talk to Eren and Hannes about taking my babies. This morning was certainly not going according to plan.

I snagged my coat off the rack, locked my apartment, pulled out my phone, and entered Levi's address. His place was only five minutes away, but with the traffic, it would be faster for me to make the hike on foot, and get my car when I bring my clothes.

There was apparently a storm last night, and the effects were still lingering. It looked like Levi would have to take his family to a museum of sorts. According to one of my patients, a girl named Mikasa, Trost had a wonderful art museum. I'd suggest that to them once I arrive.

I dialed in Hannes number as I walked, bumping into a fellow pedestrian in my distraction.

" _Hello, this is Hannes?"_ he said when he picked up.

"Hey Hannes! I was wondering if I could talk to both you and Eren?" I asked.

" _Sure thing! Let me go get him."_ I could hear heavy footsteps and a door creaking in the background. _"Eren! Wake up! Dr. Hanji needs to talk to us!"_ Hannes called to Eren. I could hear the boy's groaning over the speaker, followed by a sleepy _"Hello?"_

"Hey Eren! So I was wondering if you would like to keep Sonny and Bean for me for a month? If it's alright with you, Hannes." I shivered, and pulled my coat tighter, casting a wary glance at the sky. It had rained all night but the clouds still looked heavy and dark. I hoped the storm would at least hold off until I made it to Levi's, but from how fast the wind was blowing, I wasn't sure I'd make it.

" _Um, sure, I guess we can."_ Eren sounded a bit hesitant _. "Why do you need me to?"_

"Well, some craziness has come up, so I am going to be staying with a… friend for a month, and they don't like snakes. Holy crap that's cold!" I shouted, as I was splashed by a car driving through a puddle left over from last night's deluge. Eren started to ask me what was wrong, but I cut him off. "I'm sorry, but I need to go Eren. I'll call you again about Sonny and Bean later this afternoon." One more thing to take care of while Levi plays decoy, I thought.

I had to pause at a crosswalk directly across from Levi's building. It looked like a very nice apartment complex. As I admired the building, a harsh gust of wind blew by, tugging long fly-away strands loose from the high ponytail I'd tried to contain them in.

The light turned, and I hurried across the street right as the first drizzles of rain began to fall. I darted into the building and rushed to the elevator, bouncing up and down in my impatience for it to get to the lobby. Finally, the doors slid open, and I gasped in shock. The entire back wall of the elevator was a giant mirror, and I looked like a nightmare. My hair was blown in every direction, with wispy strands poking out here and there that had unfortunately frizzed from all the moisture in the air outside. I glanced down at my attire as I stepped in. The entire left side of my gray leggings were soaked from when the puddle splashed on me. Pushing the button for floor seven, I sighed. My first impression was not going to be a good one.

When I finally got to Levi's door, I paused and took a few deep breaths. It was too late to turn back. I had always considered myself to be a good actress, but this would be the real test. After a few more seconds of mental preparation, I uttered the motto I used when I needed all my focus and intelligence. "Praeparet bellum." I whispered, right before I knocked.

Levi jerked the door open almost immediately. His eyes widened in shock at my windblown appearance, before narrowing quickly into a glare.

"Why the hell are you so late?" He whispered harshly, stepping out of his apartment and partially closing the door behind him, and bracing his left shoulder against the doorframe, to keep weight off his bad leg.

"I slept in." I whispered back, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. Typically, his glares don't have any effect on me, but this time, I felt like withering beneath those hard gray eyes. Maybe it was because this time, I had actually done something wrong, although there was no way in hell that I'd admit it to Levi.

"No shit, genius. I should—" Levi was cut off in the by a male voice calling his name from behind him.

"Rivaille, I think I heard someone knocking!" The voice said, in a heavy French accent.

Levi rolled his eyes, before grabbing my arm tightly and tugging me inside. As he locked the door, he called back to the voice, saying "Grandpere, I told you, call me Levi!" I threw a questioning glance at him and opened my mouth, only to have him glare me into silence, while gesturing for me to give him my damp coat. Looking around, I saw that we were in an entry way of sorts, painted a light gray color. There were two doors directly to my left, one of which led to a closet into which Levi placed my jacket. The short entry way opened into what I assumed was the living room and dining room, while the kitchen was behind the wall to my right. The hall continued on after the living and dining space to have three closed doors at the end, one on each side, and one in the center.

I saw a head covered in incredibly messy gray hair poke around the corner from the right. The rest of the person soon followed, and I saw that it was an elderly man, wearing an incredibly ugly Christmas sweater; I thought that was a bit curious, considering that today was only the first day of December.

"Oh Riv—Levi! Is this Hanji? She is beautiful!" the man cried, as he made his way over to where Levi and I stood. He had been the owner of the heavily accented French earlier.

"Yes, Grandpere, this is Hanji. Hanji, this is my grandfather, Kenneth." Levi said blandly.

"Oh no dear one, you must call me Grandpere, or Grandpa if the accent is hard for you." He said, pulling me into a hug. He moved with slight difficulty, but it was still incredibly well for someone of his age.

"I'm so glad I finally get to meet you, Grandpa!" I exclaimed in return, glad he offered a different name than 'Grandpere.'

"Grandmere!" Levi yelled, as he slowly led us into the living room. I had assumed correctly on the layout.

Taking a few sneaky glances around the room, I noticed two plush black leather sofas surrounding a glass coffee table. The floor was a light hardwood, which was the only flooring type I had seen so far in Levi's home. I could see that the light gray paint had continued throughout as well. There were white curtains hanging from what I initially thought were floor-to-ceiling windows, but upon a second glance, I realized it was a sliding door to a balcony that extended the length of the apartment. There was no TV in Levi's living room, but instead, he had an impressive amount of books in white bookcases along two walls. His collection was nowhere near the extent of mine, but still, the amount he had was nothing to sneeze at. Everything was spotlessly clean. Part of me thought that I could probably perform a surgery right on the living room floor and not have to worry about any bacteria and germs.

A woman I assumed to be Grandmere emerged from the door on the right of the second hallway. I could see behind her that it was a bathroom. Looking at the woman herself, I noticed that she was short, maybe the same height as Levi. Her hair was trimmed into a pixie cut, shorter than her husband's was. She was wearing a pair of pale pink jeans and a light blue sweater, with a white button-down underneath. Her eyes were gray like Levi's and she appeared to be a good bit younger than Grandpa.

"You must be Hanji. It's so nice to finally meet the only woman who could make my Levi settle down." She said with a smirk thrown in the man's direction. "Please, call me Grandmere." She tuned back to me. She had no accent whatsoever.

Levi just rolled his eyes, and lowered himself to onto one of the sofas with a sightly pained look in his eyes. After a brief hesitation, I went and joined him, sitting a bit closer than I would have in normal circumstances. When he looked over at me with his dull gray eyes, I began to worry. Maybe I wasn't supposed to sit this close to him? It wasn't like our legs were actually touching, but they were close to it. Instead of scooting slightly away though, Levi shifted to drape his arm across my shoulders and gently pull me into his side. I relaxed and went with it, noticing that he smelled like lavender and something else I couldn't identify. I had always believed lavender to be a more feminine scent, but smelling it on Levi made me change my mind.

Grandmere and Grandpa came and sat on the opposite sofa, mirroring our position.

"So Hanji, did you get everything sorted out with the vampire?" Grandmere asked.

My eyes snapped to look at her. How did she know about Eren's condition, and why was she asking about him?

Seeing my confusion, she quickly continued. "Levi told me all about it. It's so strange, the delusions that people will have. I had never realized that there were people who believed themselves to be vampires, of all things!" She smiled. It hit me then that Levi must have used Eren as my excuse for not being here this morning, although that simply confused me more.

"Um… Yeah, it's uh, it's called Renfields Syndrome." My mind was racing, trying to figure out how Levi knew Eren's condition. "The disorder was named after a character called Renfield in Bram Stoker's _Dracula_." I started spouting off facts as was my norm when I was caught off guard with a question. "The first stage consists of the patient injuring himself and drinking his own blood." I kept all my documents on patients on my laptop. There were no physical copies anywhere, to protect their privacy. "The second stage is the zoophagia stage, in which the patient obtains animal blood and consumes it." It was a safety precaution for me to never leave patients alone in my office, although I left Levi once. "The third and final stage is moving on to the blood of other humans, either from willing donors, robbing blood banks, or murder." I had left Levi alone, for five minutes. I had made the mistake of drinking too much before his session, and had to use the restroom. "This stage is when many patients end up becoming violent criminals in order to satiate their compulsions." When I got back, he looked like he hadn't moved, and my laptop was still asleep. I had a password on it as well. There was no way he could have gotten into it. So how did he know? He had met Eren once, or at least seen him, when Eren had needed to reschedule a session and I moved him to right after Levi, but Eren was incredibly self-conscious about his condition, so there was no way he would have just told Levi.

"Oh the poor dear! That sounds terrible! What stage is your patient in?" She asked.

"The first, but I believe he is on the road to recovery." It was true. Eren had been doing so much better these days, not biting into his thumbs nearly as often as he did when I first began seeing him.

"Wow! That's fascinating. You sure picked a smart one, Levi." She winked at him.

Levi hummed in agreement and began to rub circles into my shoulder with his thumb. That little action got me panicking again. Exactly how touchy was he planning on being?

"You never did tell me how you met each other, Levi." Grandmere leaned forward in her seat.

Glancing at Levi, I could tell he was not going to say anything. Great, he was leaving it all to me. Thinking quickly, I blurted out the first idea that came to mind.

"At the local bookstore. I always saw him there, and one day I noticed him struggling to reach a book on the top shelf, and I helped him get it. We struck up a conversation, and things progressed from there."

Levi stiffened, turning his head to give me a death glare. I knew he was mad by my jab at his lack of height, but as far as I was concerned, it was his fault. He made me come up with a lie on the spot; he should just be grateful I succeeded.

Grandmere let out a loud laugh, shaking Grandpa. I hadn't noticed, but the poor man had started dozing in his seat. The flight must have been hard on him.

"That must have made him so mad! Levi was always very insecure about his height." She said, still chuckling.

"I am not insecure about my height, Grandmere!" Levi practically snarled. "I married a woman three inches taller than I am, didn't I? I was under the impression that took confidence." He almost sounded pouty by the end.

"Shhh… It's ok, Levi." I whispered to him, rubbing my hand over his knee, earning me twitch and a glare. I was starting to enjoy patronizing him; he was adorable when he pouted, and I wanted to see him do it more.

Grandmere laughed again, before removing herself from Grandpa's sleeping grip and scooting a bit away from him.

"The poor man." She muttered, before turning to us. "He is completely exhausted from the flight."

"So Grandmere, you don't have an accent. How come?" I asked, after a few beats of silence.

She smiled. "You're right. I grew up here in America, but went to college in France, which is where I met Kenneth." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "He was my professor. We were quite the scandal, considering he is twenty-five years older than me." She whispered with a wink.

"Wow! A twenty-five-year age gap? So that makes you seventy-four?" I did the numbers quickly in my head, and Grandmere nodded in agreement.

"Did such a large age gap cause any problems?" I was genuinely curious. "If it's not too personal for me to ask. I'm sorry, asking questions is just second nature to me, and considering my career choice, it's only natural that I tend to ignore personal space." I quickly added on with a grin.

Levi stiffened again, and removed his arm from my shoulders.

Grandmere laughed. "It's perfectly fine! Don't worry, if you get too personal, I'll let you know. I have no problem telling anybody exactly what I think. Ah, yes, there were a few problems due to my large age gap with Kenneth. For example, there was a lot of pushback from my parents, particularly. Another problem was when Kenneth was sixty-eight; he had a stroke. Our children, Kenny and Kutchel, were only seventeen and fifteen at the time and were both struggling with some issues of their own, but I couldn't care for them and Kenneth at the same time. We sent them off to a boarding school that was supposed to help them, but unfortunately it changed them for the worse."

Levi hadn't relaxed in his seat yet, so I figured that it was probably not a good idea to continue to press the topic, even though I now had more questions than I had started with.

"So. Two months. That's pretty fast, to make an understatement." Grandmere said, indirectly asking a question of her own.

Oh crap. Levi has only been discharged for two months. Nobody in their right mind met and married somebody in the span of two months. I turned to look at Levi. He made me come up with a story on the spot last time, so now it was his turn.

I felt him relax against me, as he answered her. "Well, I've known Hanji for about six months, give or take. We met while I was on temporary leave, and communicated through email while I was deployed. Once I was shot, well, Hanji was determined to marry me as soon as I was shipped back here." Levi turned to me with a small smile and grabbed my hand in his.

I guess it's only fair that he made me seem like a stereotype, love-sick female, considering how I picked on him for being short. His smile surprised me though. I had only seen irritation, boredom, and disgust on his face. Levi really did have a nice smile, I decided.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Grandmere spoke.

"Kenneth and I will be checking into a hotel room for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day." She had a slight gleam in her eye as she spoke.

Levi paled a bit and his eye twitched in what I can only assume was anger. "No. I've told you that's unnecessary."

"Why would you do that?" I asked her, confused as to why Levi seemed so bother by this. I had a feeling I knew what Grandmere was implying, but I didn't see how it was a big deal. Surely Levi and I could simply sit around and read, and say we did whatever it was Grandma wanted us to do. It's not like we weren't already lying. One more wouldn't hurt, would it?

"So you too can have some sexy fun time for Levi's birthday!" She announced happily before turning to Levi and continuing, with Levi tensing more and more with each word she spoke. I don't know how she didn't notice. "I'm so glad you moved past that celibacy phase. It really wasn't healthy. I am sure it was difficult but I'm so proud of you for working through it."

Levi had stood by this point, fists clenched and trembling with fury. "I am still celibate. I haven't changed, and I never will Grandmere." He spat, before storming out of the room.

Grandmere turned to me with eyes wide from shock. "Is that really true, Hanji dear? You haven't…" she paused rather awkwardly "… consummated… your marriage? Please tell me you both talked about this long before you were married, and that he didn't keep anything from you."

I was just as surprised as Grandmere was. Levi was celibate? That was an interesting discovery. I hoped that it would hold more clues to who the man truly was.

I was also incredibly annoyed by her. It seemed obvious to me that Levi had been uncomfortable from the beginning, yet she chose to continue.

I sighed as I realized that Grandmere was actually expecting an answer from me. Knowing that the best lies are rooted in truth, I figured I might as well come out to Grandma. I was not looking forward to the long mess of vocabulary and definitions that was sure to follow at some point though. "Yes, we had a long conversation about it, and frankly, I was thrilled to hear he chose to abstain from sex. You see, I am asexual. It was always a fear of mine that I would never be able to find someone who would love me unconditionally, yet wouldn't want what I couldn't give. Finding Levi was a dream come true. I have no idea what I've done to deserve him. So please, stop giving Levi a hard time over this. We are both perfectly happy with our life together." From the things Levi mentioned in our last session and things I noticed myself, she seemed like she was unaccepting of the lifestyle he chose, and that really bothered me. I didn't understand why some people couldn't grasp that sex is not a requirement for a happy and fulfilled life.

She looked saddened by my little speech. "You're right. I'm sorry. I am not trying to push Levi by always bringing this up, but I can't help but feel that he is just hiding from his problems by avoiding sex. I know you're a doctor, so I'm sure you know this, but everything I've read has said that sex can be extremely beneficial in healing from—"

"Who wants lunch?" Levi barged in, yelling. He must have been listening from the hallway.

I didn't move. Levi is hiding from his problems by avoiding sex? Grandmere believes that him having sex would be beneficial to him healing? It was beginning to sound to me like Levi was a victim of sexual assault, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. It could very well be a number of other things. If that was the case though, that Levi was a victim, it would certainly explain Grandmere's constant prying into the subject; it would simply be her way of trying to help him, like I am trying to do as his doctor.

"Hanji! Lunch!" Levi called again.

I looked up to realize that everybody had moved to the dining room and quickly went to join them. Grandpa had finally woken up, and was standing near Levi, who was holding his cell phone.

"Is everybody good with Asian?" Levi asked, and after a chorus of agreement, he dialed in and placed an order for four teriyaki chicken and rice dishes.

We all sat down around the table to wait for the delivery.

"Grandpa, why are you wearing a Christmas sweater? Today's only December first." I let my curiosity get the better of me.

"Well dear, I always wear a Christmas sweater on the first of December. It is the perfect thing to get everyone into the holiday mood!" He said excitably.

"No. He's just obsessed with anything Christmas." Levi leaned over toward me and dramatically whispered, causing both his grandparents to laugh.

"Why shouldn't he be, Levi! Christmas is wonderful! It's the day we got you, you know." Grandpa announced. I almost groaned. I had forgotten Levi's birthday was on Christmas. I'd have to find him a gift, and have a party with his grandparents. I needed to start paying attention to things he liked. It would be pretty pathetic for his 'wife' to buy him a simple giftcard.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me. I'd rather forget about it all. Birthday, Christmas, everything." He said with a groan.

"That's just because you are the Grinch." Grandmere said firmly, but I could see a teasing smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe this year, Hanji will be able to make your tiny shriveled black heart grow three sizes. Goodness knows nobody else had been able to."

I let out a loud laugh. Typically, I tried to control my laugh as part of some childish insecurity I'd always had after someone compared it to a witch's cackle, but I couldn't be bothered to this time. I got some wide-eyed looks from everyone at the table, before they joined in. Even Levi was chuckling, although I was suspicious that he might just be laughing at me. I didn't care though; he had that small smile back on his face, and I was hearing his laugh for the first time.

"Thanks Grandmere. I'm glad to know you love me." Levi said sarcastically.

"Well, I'm just glad that she has so much faith in me." I responded, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Making Levi's heart grow three sizes; that's certainly a challenge, but I accept."

Grandpa let out a few more chuckles, before we heard someone knock. Grandmere went to grab the food and pay the delivery boy, while Levi went to get drinks. I followed behind him, hoping I could get him alone to talk about getting his grandparents out of the apartment long enough for me to bring my stuff over.

Once we made it into the kitchen, he turned to glare at me.

"I was 'too _short_ to reach a book on the top shelf?' _What the hell, Hanji!_ Couldn't you come up with anything better?" He whispered harshly. Apparently, Levi couldn't be bothered to keep up the 'caring husband' act when it was just the two of us. He didn't want me here, didn't want me prying into his life, and wouldn't hesitate to remind me of that fact when we were alone.

"I didn't see you coming up with anything better! And besides, what I said was perfectly fine! Nobody would doubt you having a hard time reaching something." I hissed back, straightening up a bit to make myself even taller than him.

His glare darkened more than I thought possible, and he turned to get cups down from the cabinet. As he pulled each one down, he would hold them up and closely examine the inside of the glass. He came across two that were apparently unsatisfactory, for reasons beyond my understanding, and placed those in the sink, before returning to the ones he had pulled out for our drinks.

"By the way, you need to get your grandparents out of here for an hour or two." I said. "I need to move my stuff over, but we can say that I need to go type up my notes from the emergency visit with my patient this morning. By the way, how did you know about Eren?"

"No idea who Eren is. What about him?" He responded as he began filling the glasses with water.

"How did you know about his condition? Remember, the Renfield's Syndrome?" Levi still looked confused. "Vampire boy?" I sighed.

"Oh, that. I had been reading _Dracula_ last night, and when I needed a quick cover story, vampires were what came to mind. I had no idea it was an actual mental disorder, much less that you had a patient who had it." He handed me two of the glasses, and slowly made his way back to the dining room table, where Grandmere had already unpacked the food.

We all dug in, and Levi began chatting with them about local museums. It turned out, Grandmere loved art, so the three of them would be going to tour the museum after lunch, while I snuck my belongings over here, and passed my sweet Sonny and Bean off to Eren, under the guise of typing up patient notes in my office.

"Hanji, I never got to ask earlier, but what exactly is asexuality? I've never heard the term apply to people before." Grandmere said, leaning forward and placing her elbows on the table. Levi glanced up at me from his empty plate, looking incredibly interested.

"Well, uh, let me think for a second. It is somewhat hard to condense it." She nodded.

After a few beats, I spoke again. "Well, there are five different types of attraction: sexual, sensual, romantic, platonic, and aesthetic, and they are all completely independent from each other, and all can have the gender specifications that sexual attraction has: i.e. hetero-, homo-, bi-, pan-, a-. The terms demi- and gray- can be applied to any combination of attraction and gender specification. An asexual is a person who does not feel sexual attraction to anyone, regardless of gender. Some aces, short for asexual, are sex-positive, some are sex-neutral, while others are sex-repulsed. How an asexual acts in a relationship doesn't affect their asexuality in any way, because it is defined by their attraction, not their actions. Some aces have been abused, some have not. Some have mental disorders, some do not. Asexuality has quite a variety of people with many different combinations of the other kinds of attractions."

"Well, what other attractions do you have?" Grandmere asked, scooting her seat in a bit closer.

Most people hate to be treated like a science project, but that had never bothered me; maybe it was because I tended to do that to my patients, always trying to find the root cause for their disorders, trying to find ways to help them, attempting to make sense of their mental state.

"I am a sex-repulsed heteroromantic, meaning I am romantically attracted to the opposite gender." I paused for a beat. "And Grandmere, I know you don't mean anything by this, but you should be careful asking anyone, not just aces, questions like these. It doesn't bother me, but I have a Ph.D. in psychology, and make a living off asking people awkward, invasive, and uncomfortable questions. Most people can't say that about themselves. I'm more than willing to answer any questions you have, but just remember that I can only speak for myself." Her curiosity was something I could relate too; I was just afraid that she would unintentionally insult someone later on.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I do have some questions." She said, blushing a little from embarrassment at being called out on her interrogation.

"Yeah, it's totally fine with me." I said smiling, and I really was fine with it. Sharing information, learning, and helping others learn was always something I had loved.

"Ok. What do demi- and gray- mean?"

"Demi- is used when a person only feels that form of attraction after a strong emotional bond is in place, while gray- has more than one meaning. In some circumstances, gray- means that that attraction is felt only rarely, while in others, gray- is used as an all inclusive term for anyone on the ace/aro spectrum, but not straight up asexual or aromantic." I really hoped my explanations made sense.

"So, do you masturbate, or do you not, because of your repulsion to sex?" She asked.

"Grandmere! Would you quit harassing my wife!" Levi interrupted angrily before I could respond.

Grandmere turned to him looking a bit indignant. "Levi, she told me to ask away. I'm sure if I ask something too private, she'll tell me, right Hanji?" She turned to me.

"I'm afraid I agree with Levi on this. My personal habits on this are private. But I can tell you that some aces do masturbate, and some don't. It's a personal choice, and can't be stereotyped by orientation." I should have known she'd ask me that. It was my fault, in a way though; I had essentially given her free reign with her questions.

"Ok. I respect that." She said, before standing up looking excited. "So, let's hit the art museum!"

Everyone stood, and scattered to find various shoes and coats. I slipped into the living room and sent a quick text to Eren asking if he could meet me at my apartment to help me move Sonny and Bean. He replied immediately, agreeing.

After digging my coat out of the coat-closet, I called "Goodbye!" to everyone and started to open the door, when I heard Levi yell my name. I turned and saw Levi walking towards me, with Grandpa following behind.

"Here. You forgot your key, again." Levi said, passing the warm metal object to me. He had a strange look in his eye that put me on edge a bit.

"Uh, thanks, Lev—" I was interrupted by his mouth on mine. I felt his thin fingers tangle into my ponytail, and I stayed frozen as I felt his dry lips gently caress mine, before he pulled away slowly, and dropping flat onto his feet. He must have had to stand tiptoe for his mouth to reach mine. His hand slipped out of my messy hair, as he muttered a soft "Be safe" before turning and walking back into his apartment.

I just gaped after him, doing my best fish-out-of-water imitation. What the hell was that?! I realized that Grandpa was staring at me, with an adoring smile on his wrinkled face. I gave him a quick wave, before darting out the front door into the safety of the empty hallway.

Continuing my rapid escape, I raced to the elevator, and roughly poked the 'down' button. It opened immediately, and I jabbed at the 'doors close' button before slumping back against the wall of the elevator. Levi kissed me. He, he kissed me! Why? Why couldn't he have just hugged me? My mind was beginning to race even faster, filled with images of awkward scenarios that now were much more likely to happen after that kiss.

Letting out a groan of frustration, I tried my best to put the subject out of my mind.

LINEBREAK

I sat on the sofa, curled up next to Levi yet again. Dinner was over, and it was beginning to get late. Throughout the meal, Grandpa and I had chatted about the cultural differences between Stochess, France and Trost, America. Now that we had moved to the living room, we were all discussing the war America was fighting against the terrorist organization known as the Titans.

"Levi, tell me how your friend is doing. The one that got you to join the Army? What was his name… E—something…" Grandmere trailed off.

"Erwin?" She nodded. "He's doing good. He's been promoted to Commanding General. I talked to him on the phone the other day, and he said his wife Marie is expecting."

Grandmere and I simultaneously cried out in surprise. For as long as I had known him, Erwin always wanted children, but from things he had said recently, he and his wife were having a hard time getting pregnant. I would have to call him and give my congratulations.

Grandpa brought up a question for Levi involving some complex military term that I didn't understand, and the two of them started discussing it. I looked over at Grandmere to see if she was confused as I was.

"Just let them be." She said with an eye-roll and a smile. "Grandpa served in WWII, and was thrilled when Levi followed his footsteps into the military."

We both turned back to listen to the men, who had moved on to arguing about ethics in warfare.

"Why shouldn't we bomb the Titan's base? It would end this fucking war immediately." Levi said vehemently.

"There are innocents there, Levi! The wives and children of the terrorists! They haven't committed any crimes against you." Grandpa responded.

"How would it be any different than what they did to Shiganshina? Hundreds of our troops are dying daily." Levi countered.

"That's exactly the point. They are terrorists. You are not. You should behave morally, no matter how they treat you."

"Mind if I cut in?" I asked. They both turned to me, surprised, as if they had forgotten that they had an audience.

"Sure, dear one." Grandpa said with a soft smile.

"This is one of those unwinnable situations. If we bomb the Titans, we are no better than they are; you were right on that point, Grandpa. We'd be hiding behind a guise of morality, but we would be exactly the same as they are. But on the other hand, I can also understand where Levi is coming from. I have three patients who survived the Shiganshina bombings from five years ago. They were only ten at the time, and those poor children suffer so much from what they saw that day. Levi has lost friends and comrades fighting this war." I honestly was just making an educated guess. Considering that Levi served for thirteen years, he had to have lost people close to him. "Can we really call ourselves good people while we let our soldiers die when we have a way to end it now?"

Both men were silent, simply staring at me with thoughtful expressions. I glanced over to Grandmere, and she sent me a wink.

"Thanks for shutting them up, Hanji!" She said, standing up. "Well, I think it's time to get Grandpa off to bed." The woman smiled down at her husband.

Grandpa slowly stood, his joints stiffening briefly at about half way. He walked over to where Levi and I were sitting, and planted a large wet smooch on my forehead, quickly giving Levi the same treatment, before making his way into his room with Grandmere following behind.

I turned to Levi. "I need to talk to you, before we go to bed."

He rolled his eyes, and stood, slowly limping to the one door that I hadn't seen opened. He put his hand on the knob, and turned to look back at me.

"You coming?" He asked impatiently.

I quickly jumped up and followed him. It was his bedroom, and a fairly large one at that. It had an attached bathroom on one end, with a king sized bed on the opposite end. The walls were painted the same gray as the rest of the apartment, and the pale wood floor continued into here as well. The bed was covered in a black duvet, with pale blue sheets and accent pillows. There were more bookshelves in here, and with a quick glance, I could see they were mostly filled with poetry. The entrances onto the balcony to either side of the bed.

"What?" Levi asked, turning to sit on the edge of his massive bed. Part of me wondered why a person so small needed a bed so large. He was celibate, so it wasn't like he needed room for _stuff._

Getting a bit impatient with my silence, Levi spoke again. "That was quick thinking with all that asexuality stuff. You are a very good liar; it's a bit scary." He had an odd look on his face, paying very close attention to my reaction to his statement, almost like he was testing me.

"What?" I startled out of my thoughts. "No, that wasn't a lie. I'm asexual."

"Everything you said was true?" He asked, keeping the strange expression.

"Yeah, there was no need to lie about it. And on that subject, you're celibate?"

His face flushed, from anger or embarrassment, I don't know. "Yes. Please, please don't ask me about it, Hanji. I didn't stop Grandmere in time; she said things she shouldn't have. Just forget about it. Please." He was almost begging me. I didn't really know how to respond for a few seconds.

"Ok." I quickly continued, before he could look to relieved. "For now. You'll need to talk to me eventually. It really will help."

"No! You wouldn't understand!" He yelled.

"How do you know?" I asked quietly, making Levi look stunned.

"Wh—What do—" He started, before being interrupted, by Grandmere's voice.

"Hanji! Levi!" She called from the kitchen. Levi sighed.

"We'd better go see what she wants, before she wakes the neighbors." He said, before getting up and following her voice, with me tagging along behind.

"I poured you both some milk. You need to drink the whole glass before bed." She said firmly.

"Um, thank you, but I don't drink milk." I said. When I was in high school, I discovered that having dairy made me incredibly hyper. Whether it be milk, ice cream, milkshakes, or even just cheese, getting too much in my system completely removed the filter between what I say and what I think. I almost acted drunk, laughing at everything, doing and saying things I normally wouldn't.

"Hanji." Was all she said back, still holding the glass out to me.

"She won't stop until you drink it." Levi looked pretty indifferent, until Grandmere spoke again.

"I always made Levi drink a glass before bed when he was little to give him strong bones and make him grow, and it worked. He has never broken one bone, even though by all rights he should have." She said proudly. "And just imagine how short he'd be if he hadn't drunk his milk!"

I snickered a bit at the last bit. I wasn't aware that milk was said to make you grow, but if it was, Levi would've been incredibly short without it.

Levi groaned, before downing his glass quickly, and headed back to his/our room.

"Drink the milk." Grandmere repeated, pushing the glass towards me.

I was just going to go to bed. I could probably fall asleep before the milk gets into my system. I picked up the glass, drank, and placed it in the sink before turning and hugging Grandmere goodnight. She held me tightly, and whispered into my ear.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my little Levi."

When she pulled back, I noticed her gray eyes were moist, but she scurried back to the guest room before I could ask her why.

I followed Levi back to his bedroom, but I didn't see him anywhere, but heard the shower running. After glancing around the room, I quickly changed into my pajamas, leaving my bra on, and approached the bed. What side did Levi sleep on? Would he make me move over if I got in his spot? I heard the shower shut off, so I chose to dart under the sheets on the left side. I don't know why it hadn't dawned on me that Levi and I would be sharing a bed before now. If I had thought of it before, I would've picked different pajamas than what I brought. I was wearing a tight black tank top depicting a treasure chest, with the message "Asexual Pirate isn't interested in your booty" on it, along with purple and white pants.

I pulled off my bra once I was safely cocooned under Levi's bedspread, and I hid it under the bed right underneath me so I could grab it easily in the morning. I couldn't ever sleep with pajama pants on either, but was feeling incredibly reluctant to take those off.

Levi came out of the bathroom wearing just a pair of black pajama pants. His hair was not fully dried, and I could see little droplets of water rolling down his pale neck onto his toned chest. I couldn't help but stare. His skin was so pale. He had numerous scars that I could see, most looking fairly recent, except for a large one on his left pectoral. There was one on his right bicep, and a few smaller ones littering his ribcage and stomach. Where there weren't scars, his skin was incredibly smooth and I couldn't help but want to touch him.

"Hanji. Stop staring." He said blandly.

Oh crap. I was staring, wasn't I. I looked down with a blush.

"Sorry, I just…" I couldn't come up any kind of excuse.

"No. It's fine, I guess. I know I have some pretty hideous scars." He looked down at himself and brushed his hand across one near his protruding hipbone that looked like he had gotten it fairly recently.

"No! That's not it, I…" I realized that I probably should not finish that sentence. "How did you get each of them?" I felt myself ask before I even thought the question. Damn, the milk must be kicking in.

He looked at me a bit strange. "Most were from during the fight when I was shot. I hope you don't mind, but I can't sleep in a shirt." He said as he approached the far side of the bed.

"That's fine, as long as you don't mind me taking off my pants, cause I can't sleep in them either." I muttered, suddenly feeling incredibly constricted by them. I stripped them off under the blankets and shoved them down near where my bra was hidden.

His eyes widened a bit in surprise, but he said nothing in protest. Turning out the lamp and laying down on his side with his back to me, I just barely heard him say "Goodnight, Hanji."

The moonlight shone in through the window and landed on his exposed back. I could see several more scars there, none quite as prominent as those on his chest. I wondered what had happened to him.

"Stop touching me." I hadn't realized that I had been tracing my fingertips across the all the scars I could see.

"I… Uh, I… I'm… I'm so sorry!" I stuttered out, jerking my hand back like his skin burned me. "I… I jus—"

"Shut up. Please." He muttered with a groan.

"I'm sorry. It's that stupid milk your Grandma made me drink. Milk makes me crazy." I ranted. My head was beginning to feel fuzzy.

Levi flopped onto his back and turned to me with a half-smile. "Milk makes you hyper?" He asked with a huff.

I blushed again, and ducked my head under the sheets before I answered. "Yeah. I mean, you have no idea how much sugar is in milk, not to mention lactose, which is digested into even more sugar! When I get too much dairy, I can't think straight. I just start talking, and I can't shut up. I've been drunk a few times, and milk affects me more than alcohol. Drunk on dairy." I gave my voice a weird inflection for that last bit, sounding a little bit like one of the Telle-Tubbies.

"You're serious?" He scoffed. I nodded, maybe a bit to vigorously. Realizing he couldn't see my head, I pulled the blanket back just enough for my mouth to peek out and gave a firm "Yes."

He belted out a laugh, and I poked my head fully out from under the duvet to watch him. His eyes were squinted shut, a large grin pulled at his thin lips, his head was pushed back, and his chest heaved with heavy breathing. I never thought I'd see the day when Levi laughed, but I was glad I could. He was truly beautiful when he laughed

"Levi, I love your laugh. It's beautiful." No no no, why did I have to open my mouth! Stupid dairy. Stupid cows.

As soon as I said the words, he sobered up and rolled back to face away from me.

"Goodnight, Hanji."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read! Any feedback you might have would be greatly appreciated. I'll be shifting the next chapter over a week from today.**


	3. Nighttime Talks

December 2:

I woke up to a sharp kick in the ribs. Upon opening my eyes, I saw the room was completely dark; there was no more moonlight entering from the windows. Just as I started to look towards the alarm clock on the end table, a heavy object landed on my stomach, almost knocking the wind out of me. After flicking on the bedside lamp, I looked down and saw that the 'heavy object' was a pair of pale feet. Connected to those feet were a pair of legs, the dark hair on them making the milky coloring of the skin stand out more. My eyes traveled up the white legs to see the rest of Levi.

He was laying completely sideways in the bed, the sheets scattered, and his pillow missing. His pajama bottoms had ridden up to mid-thigh, and I could see the edge of what looked like a massive scar on his left leg, with the rest disappearing under the black flannel pants.

Letting out a groan, he shifted, twisting onto one side, and one of his feet moved to rest on one of my breasts, with the toes on the other foot digging uncomfortably into my ribs.

I shoved both feet off of me, and sat up, now understanding why he had such a large bed; if he didn't, he surely would fall off on nightly basis with the way he moved around in his sleep. After crawling over to him, I reached out to try to pull him back to where he should be laying. I wrapped my hands around his upper arm and tugged. He barely budged; Levi was heavier than I had expected. Pressing my hands into the mattress, I tried to shove them underneath his torso, thinking that would be an easier way to move him.

As I attempted that though, Levi started thrashing quickly. One of his arms jerked up and hit me in the mouth. I fell back against the headboard, and he sat up breathing heavily, looking around in a panic. His hands were still clenched into fists, and once he turned and looked at me, I could see that his eyes were wide with fear. The edges of sleep were still clinging to him; they must have been, because if he was in his right mind, he never would have reached out and pulled me into a tight hug. If he was in his right mind, he never would have let me wrap my arms around him in return either.

He ducked his head into the area where my neck joined my shoulder, and I could feel trembles racking his small frame. His hands clenched into the back of my tank top, causing me to suddenly remember that I was braless with my boobs pressed up against his bare chest and that my pants were off, exposing my Death Note themed underwear to the world.

I moved one hand off of him to reach for my pillow to attempt to hide my panties. When Levi felt me let go, he gasped out a "No" and pulled me in even tighter. My searching hand finally grasped my pillow, and I pulled it into my lap effectively covering myself, before returning the squeeze.

After a few minutes of just sitting together, Levi finally let go, and before I could say anything, he got up and left the room. After slipping on my pajama bottoms, I followed.

I found him in the living room, sitting on the sofa reading a well-worn copy of Dante's Inferno. Dropping down into a crouch in front of him, I reached out and lowered his book so he would look at me. Levi did, with a pitiful glare. That didn't sit right with me; never had I ever seen Levi unable to give somebody a decent glare.

"What's wrong, Levi? What happened? Was it a nightmare?" I asked quietly, aware of his grandparents sleeping nearby.

"I'm fine, Hanji. Go back to bed." He murmured, trying to pull the poetry from my grasp.

"No, you're not fine. You had a panic attack, and you willingly hugged me. Something is wrong. Come back to bed, and we can talk about it in the morning. Let me help you, Levi. Please." I whispered back.

"I can't sleep any more. I'm honestly surprised that I was able to sleep for as long as I did."

"How… How long do you typically sleep for?" I asked warily.

"Two or three hours." He said, with a resigned sigh.

"Levi! Why didn't you tell me? I could have prescribed you sleeping pills. Everyone needs a minimum of eight hours a night!" My voice got a little bit louder with my shock.

Levi held up a finger and shushed me. "My grandparents are still sleeping, Four-Eyes. I didn't want sleeping pills; you've already got me on meds for my other issues."

"You needed those, and you know it. Are they still working? No side effects?"

He scoffed. "Nothing I didn't want to have happen anyway. They completely destroyed the small sex drive I had; I should thank you, if anything."

After a few moments of thinking, I finally decided to say what had been on my mind since the previous evening. "Listen to me, Levi. I am getting concerned here. There is more going on with you than you let on." He rolled his eyes. "From now on, I will ask you one question a day, and you will give me a satisfactory answer, or I'll stop seeing you as a patient, and tell Erwin exactly how uncooperative you've been."

"What? But I'll lose my pension, Hanji. What would I do then?" He looked highly offended.

"It's just one question, Levi. They won't all be deep personal stuff. I might ask your favorite color, or the name of your first pet. You don't know. But I am tired of not knowing what is going on. Either you talk to me, or I start talking to Erwin." I hated giving people ultimatums, but this madness had gone on long enough.

After a few seconds of thinking, Levi sighed and agreed. He stopped his tugging on the book, and set it down in his lap.

"I'm just going to ask my question for today now, since we're alone." I paused, trying to think. I had many things I wanted answers for, but I shouldn't pick something too personal as my first question, or I might scare him off. It had to be something relatively private though, just to show him I was serious about this.

"Since we are currently awake because of this, I think I'll start off with asking what your nightmares are about." I finally said.

"They're not… nightmares, per se. They're memories." His fingers picked restlessly with the damaged corner of the books cover. "From my childhood." He added, eyes not looking up to meet mine.

Levi stood abruptly. "I answered your question. Goodnight, Hanji." He turned and walked back towards our room.

Yet again, I quickly followed; this time finding him curled up on his side in bed, bed sheets tugged up to his chin.

"Levi." I called, quietly padding over to the bed. "Levi…"

After deciding that he must be ignoring me, I laid down on my side, and thought about what Levi had told me. What childhood events could cause Levi— "Humanities Strongest Soldier", as Erwin once told me—to have nightmares decades later?

Pondering my new revelations, I soon fell asleep.

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 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left reviews so far! I greatly appreciate it.**


	4. French, for Microscopic Bacteria?

December 2:

I woke up to hearing the click of a camera shutter, followed quickly by whispered words that I didn't understand. Reluctant to open my eyes, I turned and curled deeper into the warmth I could feel enveloping me, my hands scrabbling for purchase on the smooth skin under my fingertips. More whispered sounds came from the direction of the foot of the bed, and I tucked my head further in between me and the warmth in an attempt to drown out the soft sounds. The warmth I was wrapped in began to vibrate gently, and I heard a deep rumble of French emanating from it.

"Je ne suis pas sûr. Que voulez-vous faire aujourd'hui? Il y a beaucoup de choses a faire dans une ville de cette grande." The deep voice said.

"Il serait agreable de s'asseoir dans un parc. Pouvons-nous le faire?" I heard the original whisperer respond.

By this point, I realized exactly what—or should I say who—the warmth was that I was tucked so snugly against was. It was Levi, and his grandfather was at the foot of the bed talking to him. For some reason, I was curled up with my head against his chest, my fisted hands pulled up to my chin, while his arms were wrapped around my waist. After a quick moment of panic at the fact that I was snuggling with a shirtless Levi, I tried to calm my heart rate. It was easier when I remembered that I left my bra and pants on after last nights adventures. If I could make myself stay still, I might be able to hear something interesting.

"Bien sûr, nous le pouvons." Levi muttered back to Grandmere.

"Qu'en Hanji? Serait-elle aller au parc?" Grandpa asked.

I almost blew my cover when I heard my name. What were they talking about! It involved me! I think I must have twitched a little bit, because Levi moved his hand from my lower back to reach up and run fingers through my hair, brushing it back from my face, before he spoke again.

"Je ne voice pas pourquoi elle ne le voudrait pas. Je qui demanderai quad il se réveille."

Grandpa made a clucking noise, before saying "Laissez-le dormir. Hier, c'etait une longue journee."

"Vous n'avez pas une idée." Levi responded with a sarcastic edge to his voice.

I heard Grandpa chuckle, before the soft padding of his feet reached my ears, then faded out, followed by the closting of the bedroom door. He must have left the room. Levi's fingers were still playing with my hair, as I tilted my head up to peek at him only to find he was already looking at me.

"So, hear anything interesting in your pathetic attempt to eavesdrop?" He asked, with a slight smirk.

"No." I groaned. "Sadly, the only French I know is 'Bleu Cheese,' 'Brie,' and 'baguette.'"

He chuckled a bit before untangling his arms from around me and sitting up. As the sheets fell away from his upper body, I was distracted again by the sheer number of scars on his skin.

"Sorry about that. I could hear Grandpa coming in, so I grabbed you. It was a good thing too, because he had his camera with him." He said, as he carefully climbed out of bed.

I felt the urge to ask what all they had talked about, but honestly, I didn't think Levi would answer. Sitting upright, I twisted my upper body towards the end table, I reached for my wire-frame glasses and shoved them roughly onto my face.

"Why do you wear those shitty glasses?" I heard Levi ask from where he stood facing the closet.

I shot his back a glare. These glasses had a lot of emotional importance to me, and I didn't appreciate them being called shitty. "They were my fathers'. I had the lenses swapped for my prescription when he died." I pulled them off to examine them as I spoke.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Levi murmured.

"It's fine." I replied with a laugh. "I know they look terrible on me! Back in high school, kids always told me they looked like goggles, because of how square the lenses are." I sighed at the memories. I typically tried to avoid thinking about growing up. It was easier to be happy that way, without bad memories bogging my mind down. "Enough about that!" I said firmly, almost talking more to myself than Levi. "What are we going to do today?"

I watched the man pull out a plain black t-shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans. "Grandpa would like to go to the park, but I don't know about Grandmere. Do you have to do any work today?" He asked, turning to face me.

"Nothing that I can't do tonight." All I had to do was update my file on Levi. I had made an important breakthrough with learning that he had a traumatic childhood, and I needed to enter in some other suspicions that had started to form in my mind.

"Ok then. I'm going to go shower." He said, starting to limp towards the bathroom.

"Again?" I was surprised. "You just took one last night."

He looked at me like I was a complete idiot. "And?" He asked harshly.

"Nothing!" Ok then. Do not mention the fact that Levi showers twice a day. Apparently it's a sensitive subject.

"You're gonna shower when I'm done, so you might as well stay in your pajamas." His tone didn't leave any room for argument, but I felt like trying anyways.

"I don't need one. My hair will stay clean for another day or too."

If looks could kill, the one Levi shot me would have me dead and buried. "Hanji, you are going to take a fucking shower, even if I have to drag you in there and bathe your nasty ass myself."

I smirked as a somewhat evil idea popped into my head. "You better get in there fast, short stuff. I haven't showered in two days already, and you were holding me awfully close this morning. I bet you're _crawling_ with bacteria by now."

His eyes widened, and a look of pure disgust came over his face. He only waited long enough to flip me off, before darting into the bathroom and locking the door, as if that would keep my germs out.

"You're gonna wash the sheets today!" I heard him yell from the bathroom.

I collapsed back onto the bed chuckling to myself. I know I shouldn't have teased him, but I didn't really feel bad about it.

I heard a few muffled sniggers from behind the bedroom door.

"Grandpa, is that you hiding?" I called with a grin, sitting up again.

The door creaked open and Grandpa peeked his head in. "Darn it, you caught me." He said with an adorable grin on his wrinkled face.

"Hear anything interesting?" I teased.

"Only proof that you are absolutely perfect for our Rivaille." He replied, coming all the way into the room and approaching the bed.

I smiled, but couldn't hold eye contact. I absolutely hated this. Grandpa was so incredibly sweet, and here I was lying to him. What a terrible thing for me to do.

He leaned across the bed to lift my chin with a gentle finger. "I am so glad he met you. He needed someone who can tease him like you do. And you have such beautiful brown eyes! Rivaille really got lucky with you, dear." I felt a slight blush creep onto my cheeks at his compliments.

"So, he said he'd ask you, but I guess I will, since he's showering again. That boy always did take way too many showers. Even as a little kid, he'd come asking us to give him a bath at least three times a day. Anyway, would you like to go to the park today? I would love to go find some ducks to feed. That's my favorite pastime. Rivaille loved it too. He used to be able to get the ducks to walk right up to him and eat from his hands!" Grandpa rambled on with a soft smile at the good memories.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea! I don't think I've ever been to feed ducks before." I wasn't entirely sure that feeding ducks would be a very enjoyable activity, but I couldn't bear to darken Grandpa's smile.

"Ok. I'll let you get ready for our adventures then." He shuffled out of the room, throwing one last smile over his shoulder at me.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Levi poked his head out of the bathroom. "Is he gone?" he whispered.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. "Yes, but why were you hiding? He's your grandpa, not a super villain."

Levi slowly crept out from his hiding place behind the door, glancing around as if he didn't believe me. "Yeah, I know that, but he always has a lot to say, and I don't have the energy to pretend like I'm listening." He said, with an eye roll. "You didn't strip the bed yet? I wasn't kidding when I said you were going to wash the sheets today." He made his way over to the dresser, and slipped a watch onto his wrist.

"I was lying, Levi. I showered yesterday morning, and my pajamas had been freshly washed. There's no need to clean the sheets already." I replied with a laugh.

Casting a sharp look at me, I watched as Levi came and jerked back the sheets, inspecting the linen as if he would be able to see the microscopic bacteria I supposedly put there.

"Fine." He said, dropping them back onto the bed. "Get up. I need to make this. Go get in the shower."

With a dramatic sigh, I grabbed some clothes at random from my suit case, and proceeded to the bathroom. A sudden thought struck me, and I whipped around. "Levi, did you live with your grandparents growing up?" I asked.

He stiffened a bit, and didn't turn to look at me as he replied. "Off and on, yeah."

"Really? Why?"

"None of your fucking business. Now go shower, before I come and make you." His tone was harsh and unforgiving sounding.

"As if you could, you midget." I darted into the bathroom and shut the door right as a pillow crashed into the other side.

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 **A/N: Heya y'all... it's been ages since I updated here, hasn't it. Life has been wild lately, to say the least. Thank you all for your patience, and the sweet reviews. Reading what you have to say always makes my day** **(*ﾉ∀`*)**


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